Special and Spirited: South Korea

Traveling all around and you still haven’t visited South Korea? Find out the best and not-so-best attractions and landmarks for your next vacation!

As I step into the bustling streets and look around the busy town, I see orange taxi cars rushing by, the Namsam Tower twinkling above, and green buses stopping for weary travelers. Local residents walk along the green brick sidewalks and I can hear the catchy metro song I’ve waited to hear since I’ve last visited. 

I was finally here again in one of my most favorite places: South Korea. I mostly visit every other year to meet family and every time I come back, the modernized lifestyle and technology only gets better. From their smart bus stops, robot assistance, and cultural landmarks there is so much to explore. To help make your next visit worth it, here is my insight on traveling to South Korea.

What makes South Korea different from other countries and such a fun place to visit?

K-culture

When most people hear of South Korea, they immediately think of the most popular aspects of Korean culture, like K pop, K food and K beauty. In fact, people from around the world visit South Korea to attend concerts, explore Korean beauty products, and try traditional Korean dishes as well as Korean street food. Personally, I think korean food is a must have on your bucket list if you are going to visit South Korea. The pop up stands in local markets have amazing small treats ( some of my favs are Hotteok, Bungeoppang, tteokbokki ) and any Korean restaurants along the cities will have you blown away. Korea’s K pop idols are globally recognized and extremely popular all around the world. If you’re a fan of K pop, you’ve probably already attended a concert in your own country, but K pop in Korea may give you a different taste of your favorite artists. And finally, K beauty. Korean makeup and skincare has been very popular on social media for their visually driven trends, affordable yet luxurious products and influencer culture. 

Technology

South Korea is also well known for their fast paced, modernized technology. Lately, our world has been intrigued in making everything easy and accessible. But sometimes, all that technology can make things unnecessarily complicated. However, when I saw how Korea was using their technology, I was shocked and I think you will be too. 

First off, the subway. If you’ve visited New York before you’ve most likely seen or been on their subway. It’s iconic but not the most pleasing. Commuters are packed together like rusted sardines in a forgotten tin and the station is an underground digestive system of the city. But have you seen South Korean subways? Let’s start with safety. In South Korea, they have screen doors to protect visitors, reduce sound and block pressure waves. The transparent glass floor to ceiling doors are innovative pieces of technology that use sensors to open and close and also display information like train location or boarding info. The trains are also exceptionally clean as well as the station which provides a much better commuting experience than other places. The screen doors as well as other well designed signs make it extremely convenient to navigate around the busy cities and the station itself. There are signs with arrows directing commuters on where to go for what and how to get there. Overall, South Korea's subway is safer, easier to navigate, and in my opinion so cool to ride around during your vacation!

Next, their robot assistance and smart devices. South Korea loves robot assistance. You will definitely see many robots roaming around airports in Korea. They have many iconic features such as providing information in multiple languages, scanning boarding passes to give specific guidance, escort services to gates, cleaning, and interactive faces for photos! Smart devices also play a huge role in the advanced lifestyle of South Korea. For example, many bus stations in South Korea have smart seats. They turn warm during the winter and cold in the summer. Some bus stations are even built like small transparent buildings with a smart seat that changes according to weather, a map that shows all the bus routes, and AC or heat blasting depending on the temperature outside. It makes waiting for your bus much more enjoyable and relaxing. 

History & Tradition

South Korea is well known for their advanced technology, but their preserved culture is also widely popular among visitors. You can experience Korean culture for yourself when you visit South Korea. A popular choice is visiting a traditional Korean palace where you get to dress up in traditional Korean garments, see live shows of traditional Korean dances/songs, and explore the breathtaking architecture of the Korean palace. Korean museums also provide a different experience than many American museums. They often have more specific information and visuals on history, culture, art and nature since most Korean museums only focus on Korea’s national identity. You can find a mix of ancient artworks to advanced interactive displays in South Korea’s museums

Cafes

In South Korea cafes act as a warm and welcoming living-room-like area for residents. Since many apartments in Korea have restricted space, cafes act as places to study, meet friends, complete work, or other tasks. With that, South Korea has a huge variety of unique cafes from themed ones to 24-hour self cafes (only camera surveillance, no workers). They also have board game cafes, study cafes, comic book cafes, photo/aesthetic cafes, traditional hanok cafes, and so much more! Mil Toast House is a really popular cafe on social media for their delicious steamed bread served in bamboo baskets. Cafe Onion Anguk is hanok themed (traditional Korean house) well known for their brewed coffees and fresh pastries. Cafes are a huge part of Korea's trendy and modern culture and I would definitely recommend visiting if you happen to be in Korea for vacation!

Things to Keep in Mind

While South Korea is truly a wonderful place to visit (in my opinion), of course there are some cons to keep in mind before you travel. First off, the seasons in South Korea are VERY different. It might not be as drastic for some people but they have EXTREMELY hot summers and SUPER cold winters. Adding on to the weather, the air quality in South Korea is not ideal. They have bad air pollution due to the huge amounts of fossil fuel combustion and vehicle emissions. Like a lot of other international travels it may be difficult for you to use navigation and other online features without a local bank account or phone number.

Whether you like to spend your vacation touring a busy city, exploring different cultures, or visiting fun cafes, South Korea has it all ready for you. Of course, there are many things to keep in mind before visiting, but their unique culture gives you a different experience than any other place has. From advanced robots and smart stations to touring traditional palaces, you’ll find the perfect memorable balance for your next vacation when you visit South Korea.